2023CR664

Key Details:

• Victim: Angela Craig, 43
• Date of Death: March 18, 2023
• Location: Aurora, Colorado
• Motive: Alleged desire to end marriage and pursue affair

James Toliver Craig, a 45-year-old dentist from Aurora, Colorado, was arrested in March 2023 for the poisoning murder of his wife, Angela Craig. Prosecutors claim he laced her protein shakes with lethal substances while carrying on several affairs and searching for ways to start a new life without her.

Background:
James and Angela Craig had been married for 23 years and shared six children. They were active in their LDS faith and appeared outwardly stable, but the marriage was reportedly troubled by infidelity and financial strain.

Incident Timeline:

• February 27, 2023: James ordered arsenic on Amazon.
• March 4, 2023: The package containing arsenic was delivered to his home.
• March 5, 2023: Angela arrived home from out of town.
• March 6, 2023: Angela became severely ill. She went to the emergency room and was released; that same day, James ordered oleandrin from AdooQ Bioscience, a poisonous plant extract, which was later intercepted by authorities.
• March 7, 2023: Angela visited an urgent care and was released.
• March 9, 2023: Angela went to the emergency room where she was admitted for inpatient treatment.
• March 8, 2023: James ordered potassium cyanide from Midland Scientific; that same day, he purchased twelve bottles of Visine at King Soopers.
• March 13, 2023: The package containing cyanide was delivered to his dental practice.
• March 14, 2023: Angela was released from the hospital.
• March 15, 2023: Angela was hospitalized in critical condition and placed on a ventilator; that same day, James purchased seven more bottles of Visine.
• March 18, 2023: Angela died.
• March 19, 2023: James Craig was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Trial:
His trial began in July 2025 in Arapahoe County, Colorado. The prosecution’s case centered on digital evidence, expert toxicology testimony, and Craig’s alleged motive—freedom from his marriage to pursue another relationship. The defense has suggested Angela may have taken her own life, a theory strongly contested by prosecutors.

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MARITAL MALPRACTICE AND MURDER: The Death of Angela Craig

Angela Craig, 43, of Aurora, Colorado, died of toxic chemical poisoning at UC Health University of Colorado Hospital on March 18, 2023. The following day, her husband of 23 years—local dentist James Craig—was arrested for murder. The couple shared six children, born between 2002 and 2014. Angela, a devoted stay-at-home mother, homeschooled the children and served as a Family History Consultant in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Financial Difficulties

Dr. James Craig founded Summerbrook Dental Group in 2009. A decade later, he took out a couple of loans totaling $918,000 against the family home in an effort to settle mounting debts. Despite this, he still owed $315,000 in back taxes to the IRS. James filed for bankruptcy in 2021 and was reportedly preparing to file again in 2022. Testimony revealed that he had also lost nearly $1 million in speculative cryptocurrency investments.

Angela carried four substantial life insurance policies at the time of her death. The total payout was $4 million. James Craig, her allegedly grieving husband, was the sole beneficiary.

Addictions and Infidelity

Witnesses testified that James Craig struggled with multiple addictions, including pornography and gambling. He was described as someone who “loved to take risks.” Angela’s sister recounted how James had recently lost another $2,000 during a trip to Las Vegas—even as the family faced dire financial challenges.

James admitted to having multiple extramarital affairs over the years. At the time of Angela’s death, he was in an ongoing relationship with fellow dentist Karin Cain, whom he met just weeks earlier at a dental conference in Las Vegas.

He also identified as a “sugar daddy” and had a profile on a website designed to connect people seeking financially-supported companionship. Several of his “sugar babies” testified at trial, and it was confirmed that James hired a prostitute during his most recent Vegas trip.

Four Batches of Poison

Angela’s toxicology reports revealed she had ingested potassium cyanide, arsenic, and tetrahydrozoline—the active chemical found in Visine eye drops.

James purchased each of these substances in the weeks leading up to her death. On one occasion, he bought twelve bottles of Visine in a single transaction. He ordered arsenic and potassium cyanide online, and investigators later intercepted a shipment of oleandrin—another deadly plant-based toxin—before it could be delivered.

Angela became ill shortly after James came into possession of the first batch of arsenic.

Google Searches

James Craig’s internet search history became a damning witness. In the weeks prior to Angela’s death, he conducted numerous online searches that, in hindsight, read like a step-by-step playbook for committing murder:

February 27, 2023: “Is there such thing as an undetectable poison”

February 27, 2023: “How to make poison from oleander”

February 27, 2023: “Is arsenic detectable in autopsy”

February 27, 2023: “How many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human”

February 28, 2023: “How to make murder look like a heart attack”

February 28, 2023: “A dose of tetrahydrozoline is fatal”

March 1, 2023: “How long does it take to die from arsenic poisoning”

March 6, 2023: “Visine”

March 6, 2023: “Tetrahydrozoline poisoning timeline”

Despite James Craig’s professional intelligence and clinical access to chemical compounds, his search history—and digital footprint—ultimately helped unravel the truth.